Pip&Nut on harnessing the power of ambassadors

It was a pleasure to catch up with Pip, who’ll be joining us for our HBCxTALK on January 11th, on the role of ambassadors for Pip&Nut:“We get an amazing amount of support on social from online influencers which helps build our credibility and increase our visibility as a brand, especially in the health/fitness and wellness space.”

Pip& Nut proves that it’s not all about pay-per-post solutions: “We don’t have official ambassadors that we pay to support us; we occasionally post free product out when running specific campaigns or when we have launched new products, otherwise, any mention we receive online is of the ambassador’s own accord. We’re incredibly honoured by and grateful for the organic support that we receive.”

How do you ensure you select the right ambassadors for your brand?

When we send out complimentary products we think carefully about the influencers we choose to seed. We target figures that have a style in keeping with our own company ethos and values and who are talking to one of our key three target audiences.

Is there any way you keep up communication with your ambassadors throughout the year?

We make an effort to keep up relations via our online platforms, replying to stories and/or posts that we’re tagged in as often as possible. Furthermore, when we are launching new products or running specific campaigns we will send a small number of personalized packages out to our main online supporters / influencers to emphasise our appreciation of their support and so that they can be one of the first to try it.

Do you have a strategy when it comes to your ambassadors supporting the launch of a new product?

We will send them a sample of the new product as soon as possible; this is fantastic for generating excitement through their followings on the lead up to a launch. This year we are looking to work with a few influencers on a closer level, which might involve including them in the earlier stages of new product design.

How do you see wider PR stunts and events in London for the general public? How do you ensure they are in line with the brand?

There are three key demographics that we target as a business – healthy active, urban professional and premium mums.

We ensure that any PR event we are involved in is targeting at least one of these demographics so that it is both relevant and in line with the brand and our values as a business.

Let’s talk mentors. Who has inspired you in your entrepreneurial journey in the past few years?

I am a firm believer in mentorship and that having a mentor who has been there, done that and who fundamentally understands what the challenges are when scaling a start-up brand is invaluable.

Giles joined Pip & Nut in an advisory capacity in November 2014 and has since become the lead investor following a fundraise in January 2016.

Since I had no prior commercial or business experience Giles has supported me in developing my skillset as well as offering advice on how best to grow the brand from a strategic point of view. I’m a big believer that having an advisor who can help nudge you in the right direction is absolutely critical when it comes to launching a brand – particularly if it’s your first business!

How do you ﬁnd the right balance between launching new products and keeping the core of your brand?

We have worked hard over the last three years to make the core range strong and secure; we’re very fortunate to have a really loyal and supportive base of repeat customers that appreciate this and continue to purchase these products.

Saying that, innovation and diversification has always been integral to Pip & Nut and we want to continue challenging the norm for nut based products!

What’s coming up for 2018?

We can’t give too much away currently but we have some really exciting new product development in the pipe line – we will be launching a new limited edition flavour and a new sub range later this year, so keep your eyes peeled!